Delirium
by xXbriannaXx
Summary: In LA, where the party never ends and the bodies don't stop piling up, Scott McCall and his little band of friends never expected to meet someone like Aracelia Valentino. She was the true darkness manifested from the moon, her smile was dim and her eyes were darker than the ebony night, but Stiles Stilinski knew one thing for sure. She was just like him. She was void.
1. The Id Takes Over

**GUYSSSSSSS! okay, new story, hope you like it…and btw it gets kinda graphic? If you have problems with it, i'll put up a small warning…like a symbol or something, and that'll be that :D i really hope you guys like it! oh and btw this ** is when you should start playing the song if you do look it up (: and that'll be the warning thingy**

**OH, and this is an AU where they're all in college, and if you have any questions about their timeline or circumstances, whatever you want to know, come ask me (:**

**Chapter 1**

**_"she was forged in fire, and raised from the ashes"_**

**Paris Is Burning by St Vincent**

The Id, the Ego, and the Super-Ego.

The id, of course was commonly linked with instinct, or the libido. Primal desire to kick someone's ass, have sex, and the instinct to survive by any means possible? That's the id...sort of. It's also a bunch of other complicated shit. The id is what makes us all impulsive, and if we didn't have the ego and the super-ego to help us out, we wouldn't be able to restrain ourselves. We're born with the id in full force. That's why babies cry so damn much; they won't stop until they get what they want.

The ego was there to..._please _the id in a more realistic and conventional way. And last but not least, the super ego. The super ego was all about rules, learning, moral values and all that jazz.

And as I sat through my Folklore and Mythology course, _my _id was wanting to just get the hell out. While the professor was extremely enthusiastic about the subject, and while he was actually _good _at teaching it, I was starting to get a little sick of sitting in one place, but both my ego and my super ego restrained me from doing so. Only they worked a bit harder than usual.

It was, after all, a full moon.

"Dude, this class is gonna be frickin' awesome." I heard someone say as they entered the class, late. It never ceased to amaze me how people always seemed to think it was _okay_ to sign up for a morning class when they know damn well that they'll be late to each and every lesson. Of course, I'm one of those people, but whatever. I

"I don't know...I mean, don't we have Deaton for this stuff?"

"Deaton can't know _everything. _Besides-"

"Excuse me, sir." The professor called out. "You're late."

_No shit, sherlock._

Their eyes widened and I rolled my eyes as they stuttered and flushed with embarrassment. Did they not know class, lesson, lecture…whatever, started like an hour ago? Idiots. I twirled a red curl around my finger, looking around as Prof. Harmon moved on with the lesson. His lips moving to quick and his voice going out a few times for reasons unknown to me, but one could assume many things from that simple detail. Or maybe it was just my hyperactive mind and unnecessarily short attention span. Or maybe it was just because boredom had me in its vice grip.

"'scuse me, sorry, yeah-oops, sorry 'bout that-"

I heard the voice as it neared and hoped to _god_ they wouldn't take the seat next to mine, especially not if it was one of those bumbling idiots that had come in just a few seconds ago.

Just my luck...it was.

"Hey-uh...-mind if I sit here? No? Good."

His bag nearly chopped my head off as he placed it down on the desk. I clenched my jaw and set it in my hands. "Great." I whispered to myself.

"Sorry, did you say something?"

I turned around and my own sea green eyes stared into the softest caramel colored eyes I'd ever seen. Moles scattered across his face and he was actually...attractive. His lips looked softer than silk, his hair was dark and messy, but in a cute kind of way. I bit my lip and averted my eyes for just a second and replied in the most disinterested way I could.

"Nope."

"Uh-I'm Stiles, by the way."

"Stiles?"

What kind of name was Stiles?

"Yeah-well, no. That's my nickname."

I nodded and placed my head in my hands. He pulled his lips in and stared at me expectantly. I sighed, long and everlasting. He was just some random guy, who cared if he knew my name? "I'm Aracelia."

"Awesome."

I grimaced and sat back in my chair as he took his stuff out and made tons of noise. Every clatter on the table, every scraping of the chair as it slide against the hard floor, and every curse that came from his mouth made me sink further and further into my seat.

"Awesome." I whispered.

* * *

I walked down the sidewalk, the cold air nipping at my skin. The street lights illuminated the city as it buzzed with life. Shops, restaurants, and stands decorated the streets of LA, the full moon hanging high in the sky. People were walking around, some drunk off their asses, hanging onto their boyfriends for their dear lives, some were walking with their friends laughing and smiling.

And then there were the ones that were like me, alone. I didn't mind it, not one bit. If I wanted friends I would have them, but I don't. And that's just how I liked it. Friends were an inconvenience I couldn't afford to have, not when I had so much on my plate already.

My head pulsed angrily and my stomach churned. There was an ache in my teeth and something told me that only biting on something, _hard_, would relieve it. I'd been able to deal with it throughout the entirety of the day, but there was something else climbing up my spine and entering my bloodstream as the full moon crept higher. It crawled beneath my skin and every part of me felt _hungry._

The soles of my feet were aching by the time I got to the apartments. The modern building towered over the people walking by, the golden lights reflecting against the marble floors. Officials walked around in suits and formal dresses, cellphones in one hand and gold in the other. I ignored them all and breezed by them with my key card in hand.

I'd never really like this apartment building. Not because it was unappealing or trashy, just because it was…too much. The people, the money, the _space, _it was too much. Not that I didn't appreciate it, I did, so much, but I wasn't exactly someone that screamed luxurious. You see me walking down the street and you think struggling college student, not daughter of Katerina Romanov, CEO of some big shot company I didn't even bother memorizing the name of.

"Aria!"

Walking down the corridors on my floor, I halted right in front of my door when my neighbor called for me. She'd made it her personal little nickname. My eyes closed and I could already feel the impatience stirring within me as her bubbly voice echoed through the halls. I could already see her annoyingly bright curls bouncing and her mossy green eyes shining with every step she took towards me. She was like a sunny morning on a bad day.

I turned to her with a look that was none to pleased, and while she faltered in her step, she ignored my obvious displeasure and bounded towards me like happiness shined out of her ass.

"Hey, Aria!"

"Maddy, what a surprise."

She stopped in front of Aria, her pleasant smile making her glow brighter than ever. "Just wanted to know what you were doing tonight." Her hands moved to sit in the back pockets of her jeans, waiting for my answer with patience. Ever since she'd met me, she'd tried to make us be the best of friends. How she could do it, I had no freaking idea. I would have already given up if I were her. Clearly I wasn't going to budge. I hadn't for two years.

"I'm heading off to work, you know, it's a busy day today. Being Friday and all." My key card sat heavily in the palm of my hand, waiting to be used.

"I don't know why you work in that dingy bar, I mean…it's slimy and gross, and you're shiny and beautiful." The words tumbled quickly out of her mouth, but she made no correction and I had to admit it was pretty fucking sweet.

"Thanks, but…it pays. And those slimy and gross people give _great_ tips." I twirled the key card between my fingers, my chipping nails scratching lightly against the plastic. I could feel precipitation forming at the base of my neck as the chirpy blonde only stared at me inquisitively. It was almost like she was trying to reach into my mind and pull out information. It was unnerving. My teeth caught onto the plump flesh of my lip, nibbling and licking in a constant pattern as I looked back at the door that separated me from my comfortable apartment. "Yeah, okay well you can leave now. To wherever it was you were going."

Her eyebrows drew together, her bottom lip pushing forward into a sulking pout. Her arms crossed and she rolled her eyes before saying, "Why don't I just go to work with you?" Her pouted lips dissolved into a small grin, almost looking proud of herself.

"You're extra persistent today."

"Well it _is _your birthday." I looked up at her and the biggest smirk was on her face. How the hell could she know it was my birthday? Hell, even _I _forgot. My eyebrows raised automatically, mouth parting as I tilted my head to the side. This girl truly was something. Besides, it wasn't the best of nights. Not only was it my birthday, but it was a _full moon._ Maybe if it were another, I would have let her come with me. _Maybe. _Actually, no. I still wouldn't have.

"How…?"

She shrugged her shoulders, her hip popping to the side as her smug smile took over her features. The light in the hallways reflected off of her already glossy, blonde curls, her eyes twinkling with something unknown to me, but it made her light up even more, if that was possible. Her voice chimed like bells as she spoke further. "That doesn't matter. What matters is that this will be the year where you finally accept me as your best and only friend."

I pulled my lips in, I could feel the turmoil stirring in my mind as I looked the girl over with calculating eyes. She wasn't my best friend, she wasn't even my _friend, _but she was persistent. Why, I have no fucking clue. Maybe she was lonely, or maybe she was trying to find a way into my life to kill me. Nope, that was definitely not it. Either way it didn't matter.

"No. You're not coming with me to work. I don't want you there, just like I don't want you here."

I ignored the sliver of hurt that passed through her eyes because it really didn't matter _how _she felt about the situation. This girl had been trying for the past two years to be my friend, and sure there were a few moments where I'd relapsed and told her something about my life. Like that one time I found out my ex-boyfriend was cheating on me with his "best friend". The key card rested in my hand for a few more moments before I took the liberty to slide it into the slot.

I just wanted to be _alone. _I worked best that way.

"Well, tough. I'm going with you anyway." I looked back at her, my eyebrows high and my lips pursed as she challenged me with her mossy eyes.

It was gonna be a long night.

* * *

My feet ached, my head was pounding and there was sweat forming at the base of my neck as men and women combined slid their warm bodies against mine. The pungent smell of stale pot, cigs, and BO wafted off the customers and permeated the air, fusing with the alcohol that remained a permanent scent in Kenzie's. It was a normal night working at the bar, my hair pulled into a tight ponytail as I wiped the tables down with a rag I found in the sink. There was a knot in the pit of my stomach growing tighter and higher as the moon started got closer and closer to its highest point.

People had been in and out of the bar for hours, and still they were coming in. Mostly college students looking for a good time, sometimes a little too much of a good time. No one would leave until they were sweating alcohol, and I could smell every bit of it. Not that it bothered me...anymore. It used to back when I was knew, but as time passed by I'd become accustomed to it. Except for today. No, today was a whole other story. The scent was stinging at my nostrils and at one point my eyes watered.

Maddy was smiling at some guy that took the liberty of sitting next to her at the bar. Her finger was wrapped around a strand of her blonde hair, lips pulled up and her white teeth showing.

She'd never given up, even after I walked in my apartment. Actually, she followed me in. She insisted that no one deserved to be alone on their birthday, that she wouldn't annoy me, that she would stay out of my way, and so far she has. But that didn't mean I was pleased with her presence. She was just so…_there_. Like a bug that wasn't bothering you, but you still wanted to get rid of _just in case. _It was annoying.

"Aria! Tend to these…lovely people, please. I'm on my break."

Adelaide called from behind the bar, her dark locks swinging back and forth as she made her way out of the crowd of people. A sigh escaped my lips as the people she was talking about came into view. Two guys were sitting on the stools, one spinning from side to side and the other nodding his head to the shittiest song we had ever played. I started walking towards the counter, ignoring the bodies bumping into me from behind. Licking my lips, I put a charming smile on my face and walked behind the bar to serve the two boys.

"Hey, boys, what can I get you two today?"

They both looked up at me, and I was faced with sudden recognition. Those whiskey brown eyes and that messy chocolate locks echoed in my mind, and it seemed he recognized me as well. The guy from my Folklore and Mythology class. I pulled my lips in and leaned on the counter, waiting for one of them to answer.

"Aracelia! Hey, I didn't know you worked here." He smiled, his teeth showing and small dimples appearing on each cheek. He arm bumped his friend, trying to get him to pay attention and I almost rolled my eyes. I just wanted to take his order. "Scott, this is _Aracelia-" _He put emphasis on my name, making sure to roll the 'R's just right and pronouncing it the way it was supposed to be pronounced. I had to admit it was quite impressive, most people _didn't_ get it right. "She's in our class this semester."

"Hey, I'm Scott." The boy smiled a puppy-like smile. His chocolate eyes reflecting a warmth that was hard to find these days and I found myself giving him a small nod of acknowledgement and the smallest of smiles. Though, it probably looked like a grimace.

"Right, so…what can I get you guys?"

"Two beers, please…Dos Equis?" Stiles offered a a sheepish grin as he splayed his hands on the counter, it came out as more of a question but I accepted it. He was probably one of those people that _just _turned 21 and decided to go buy some legal alcohol, but knew jack shit about it. Hell, I would.

He pulled the sleeves of his plaid shirt to his elbows and I took notice of the tattoo that ran down his forearm. Rays of something akin to fire protruding from an endless knot. I pulled the notch and filled the cup with their preferred beer wordlessly as I traced the pattern with my eyes. I may have only been in Folklore and Mythology for a few days, but there was a reason I was in it, and that symbol was one I'd seen countless of times.

"Nice ink." I commented lightly as I passed them their beer. Stiles only smiled and nodded, his eyes suddenly turning away from mine and looking down at the tattoo on his forearm. His fingers pressed against the stained skin, tracing it like someone would a scar. Scott grinned, his lips tilting and teeth showing and once again he reminded me of a puppy. "That'll be $5.50."

"Aria!"

Maddy's voice rung in my ears, shrill and happy with a bit of a slur. Working in a bar such as this one had given me a bit of experience, and I knew a drunk just by listening to their voice. Maddy was _definitely _drunk. I closed my eyes briefly, enjoying the bit of peace I could offer myself, which wasn't much at all. A sigh rocked through my body as I turned towards her gleeful smile and glazed eyes.

"Maddy, remember what you told me? About not bothering me while I'm _working_?" I let my eyes fall towards the boys that sat staring through amused eyes as she tripped while trying her best to stand still. Suddenly, her eyes began to water and I began to panic. She looked at me like a she was a lost puppy, a pout forming on her pink lips and her chin trembling.

"I-I just wanted to give you a _good _birthday, Aria." She slurred, her voice was low and pained, and I could tell she was going to start full on bawling if I didn't do something. Thing was, I had no fucking idea what to do. "You-you're just…so _lonely._ And I just want to be your f-friend." she hiccuped.

"You are going to have the worst hangover ever." I whispered under my breath, a silent prayer hidden in there somewhere. Maybe it would keep her from trying to be my friend again. "Alright, let's go…I'll take you home."

"No, I got her." A man was at her side, his arm snaked around her waist throughout the whole encounter and I hadn't even noticed. He smiled at me, but I'd seen that same smile printed on other men and it was as genuine as he was cute. Not one bit. His hand was gripping at her a bit too hard for me to be comfortable, his eyes were sliding up and down her body with intentions I could see clear as day. Then, he smirked down at her. It was a slimy, disgusting smirk that I wanted to rip right off his face.

Among other things.

"How about no? You're going to take your _grimy _hands off of her, and give her to me." My jaw clenched and my eyes set angrily on his, I could feel something bubbling in my gut as he only shook his head and laughed.

"Listen, bitch-"

"Today is _not _the day to mess with me, _buddy_." I snarled, heat encasing me as he only cocked his filthy eyebrow and gave _me _a once-over. Disgust coiled tightly in my stomach. His arm tightened around Maddy's waist and I could hear the whimper as it passed her lips. His fingers were gripping tightly at her hip, digging into the flesh and prodding at the bone. He was hurting her.

That was when I started to tremble, and not from fear.

"Let her go."

Scott was listening to everything. His eyes were wide and angered, jaw clenched and teeth grinding. I could _hear it._ He stepped wearily between the douche bag and I. His broad shoulders blocked my view, tense and ready for anything that came his way. His fingers curling into something more dangerous, feral almost. The action was familiar in my eyes, everything his actions was familiar. There was a growl in his voice, rumbling deep and dangerous and I heard it all. I felt something shift within me, tearing and screaming inside of me. I was teetering on the edge of completely losing my shit.

Though one good thing did happen, he backed away. His tongue licked at the corner of his lips, a smug smirk tugging at his lips. "I see, you want her all for yourself." He let go of a disgruntled Maddy, pushing her towards Scott mercilessly. I could see the anger deep in his eyes, though. It creeped beneath the blue irises and surfaced in the veins in his eyes that were red and swollen. He was on something.

"You can take her."

The knot in my gut tightened some more. He looked at me again, and the glint in his eyes made my toes curl inwards and the light hairs on my arms stand to attention. I could feel it again, the quiet rage swimming steadily in my gut. It wouldn't be long until I snapped.

Maddy's voice took me away for a second. It penetrated my derailing thoughts, reaching my ears and anchoring me to the Earth and away from the darkness that was threatening to break through.

"You're _soooo _cute." She was giggling and smiling, her hand was settled and splayed on Scott's bicep, squeezing subtly and I could see her eyes light up in delight. An internal groan fought its way to the surface as he only looked down at her with a small smile and amusement. "Like, _really, really _cute. Right, Aria? Isn't he the…_cutest_?"

I only shook my head and stepped closer to her, watching carefully as she pushed herself closer and closer to him. I didn't like it, not one bit. "The cutest." I bit out. Maybe it was because she was completely wasted and I was a semi-good person, but I really wanted to pull her from his grasp and take her away from anyone that could possibly take advantage of her. "We should go, Maddy. You need to sober up." I reached for her wrist, pulling her out of his hold and giving him a tight lipped smile when he only nodded. "Thanks."

And that was it.

* * *

It was only half an hour later that I was able to call in and ask to leave my shift a little earlier than usual. Maddy was still drunk, and I was still aggravated. I could feel everything around me like fire licking at my skin. My senses were heightened by a thousand. My clothes were to tight against my body, rubbing against my irritated skin like velcro. Maddy's voice was like nails against chalkboard thrumming in my ears.

"Ugh, finally, that place _stiiiinks_." Maddy complained, leaning against me with all of her weight. I wasn't bothered by it, I mean, it wasn't like I was walking for the both of us or anything. "How do you even deal with it? That bar is like…cheap. And disgusting. You should work somewhere more high class. Like…"

"Maddy, please shut up." My jaw clenched, teeth grinding together roughly. Her voice had a lasting effect, though, and even though it was quiet now, everything else wasn't. We were walking down an empty sidewalk, but I could hear her heartbeat loud and clear. It was loud and I could feel it throb throughout my body as the moon shone against my sweaty skin.

Her perfume was driving me insane, invading my nostrils and spreading up to my brain. It was sharp, and sweet…too sweet. There was something about it that made everything more powerful. And not in a good way. It made a deep seeded hunger pool inside of me.

"I'm just _saaying_." Maddy drawled, each syllable dragged out before she clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth and _I_ could hear it. She breathed in suddenly, and exhaled loudly. Her face was set in confusion and I looked over at her as a sulking pout formed on her face. "Aria, do you have anyone?"

Her question was light in her voice, too light to be what it really was. "What do you mean?" I quipped. I played dumb, of _course_ I played dumb. How could anyone expect an answer to a question like that. It was a short question, but it struck chords and brought shattered memories to the surface. My answer was layered with years of agony, years of doubt. It was the kind of question that didn't have an answer. It had a _story. _

And mine was anything but happy.

"I mean…like people." She hiccuped for the thousandth time that night as she tried to explain herself. Her head twisted to look at me through her big, innocent eyes. Her iris' swimming with different highs of green and brown. I could feel her arm tightening around my elbow as she tripped on nothing in particular. "You know?"

I did know.

"No, Maddy. You're drunk and you have no idea what you're saying. Let's just get you home, okay?"

She shifted her body closer to mine and I could feel the hunger I felt before resurface and I pulled my lip into my mouth and gnawed. The silky flesh was swollen and red, but it soothed the growing ache in my teeth for just a while. Her question still lingered in the air. I breathed it in, and it _poisoned_ me with its cruel intentions.

"But-" Maddy started.

"Hey!"

A new voice called out, charged with rage and malice. It thundered feet from where Maddy and I stood and I felt my heartbeat pick up as the moon reflected off of Maddy's terrified eyes. It was the guy from the bar. I turned around and his eyes reflected nothing but pure evil. His steps were slow and deliberate, each one echoing louder and louder in my ears and I could feel the power of the full moon shifting within me.

My mind was too absorbed in Maddy, I hadn't picked up on the limping footsteps and erratic heartbeat. I hadn't smelled the sweat that rolled off of the man, hadn't smelled the crank in his breath, or the seen the bloodshot eyes. It was a full moon, and everything was heightened, how could I miss it?

Suddenly, I was being jerked against something hard. Pain bloomed in the back of my head, throbbing against my skull so hard I thought it would rip open.

Maddy's scream pierced the air but I could only feel the blood seeping passed my skin and staining my hair. Disgusting breath fanned across the skin on my cheeks and a groan left my parted lips.

**"That's right, _you fucking bitch. _Feel the _pain._" His body was hard and trembling against mine as he pressed me against the wall of a store that stood a few doors down from the bar. "You think you can just humiliate me? That you can take away what's _mine_?" He growled into my ear, his hand maneuvered so it was pressed tightly against my wind pipe. I could feel the oxygen slowly get stripped from me as he pressed harder and harder, but that wasn't really what worried me. Not one bit.

I could feel the wound on the back of my head stitching itself back together, the blood left only as a reminder.

_The moon was at its apex_.

A sharp inhale was heard loud and clear, a low moan of pain right after and it was mine.

An ache spread throughout my body, moving through my bones and muscles leisurely as he only continued to talk. My eyes shifted towards Maddy, I could see her trembling and hear her whimpering but I offered her a simple nod as she backed into the car.

The rage that was once quiet and slow burning was now a fire spreading through my veins. It seared and boiled in my blood. A growl threatened to escape my lips, I could feel it trembling in my chest. My lip lifted at the corner in disgust as he only moved his face closer to my own.

_The shift was starting._

"What? You scared? What happened to the brave little girl in the bar? Huh?" He taunted. A mirthless smile was spread across his cracking lips.

The ache in my teeth increased a tenth fold, the flesh of my gums tearing and blood spilling from the wound as the razor edged fangs descended. I could feel them sliding down my gums, aching and longing to tear through flesh. I would have tried to control it, but he wasn't worth my efforts.

"I'm not scared." There was a darkness in my voice as I spoke, and I knew he could hear it. It thundered throughout my own body. My eyes darkened, the whites of my eyes were no longer white. They were black like the ebony night. The hunger that had settled before was blooming throughout my entire body until it was a _need. _I yearned for whatever would satiate me, and in this case, it would be him. My entire body was alight, heat engulfing and thrumming throughout my entire being.

"No?" He asked, and shifted me so I was looking straight into his eyes, and the smirk that was stretched on his cracked lips disappeared instantly. The veins beneath my eyes had darkened and pulsed against the sensitive flesh and I reveled in the fear that flashed in his eyes. "Wh-what the hell…it's…what are you?" His heartbeat pulsed against his neck, I could see the vein moving back and fourth with each and every beat, I could smell the fear that wafted off of him in waves and I wanted to _bathe _in it.

He stumbled back, his eyes wide and the whites of his eyes were more visible than ever. Need and hunger were coursing through my veins, traveling from my toes to my fingertips until it reached my throat and that was when I _really_ felt it. It attacked me with fervor and the animalistic growl that escaped my lips was filled with a rage that could kill anyone.

I lurched without a thought, my eyes set on his shaking form. Fear was clouding around him, an aura that was dark and bright at once. His terror was palpable, it was suffocating and it was pleasing all at once. One second I was standing against a wall, the next my legs were straddling his waist, tight and unrelenting as he squirmed. My hands caught his wrists and I pinned him to the ground. A dull throb began in my gums and I grinned a fangy grin.

He screamed and sobbed, but I didn't relent. I was starving for his life, his blood, his _essence. _My head tilted back for just a milliliter of a second before it descended quick and harsh against his neck. My fangs pierced through the flesh of his jugular and my hand covered his mouth to muffle his screams as the blood poured into my mouth.

Pleasure flooded inside of me. Something had been building up inside of me since the last full moon, since the last time I was really able to feed the way I was, and to feel it be released was like a relief the exceeded from my pores. The desperate need, the _insatiable _hunger that pulsed throughout my entire being, carnal and nothing human about it, was being satisfied and it was euphoric.

A sweet delirium swept across my body, mind and soul.

His blood pooled in my mouth with each suckle. It was sweet, like a wine aged to perfection and I wanted _more. _I sunk deeper into his neck and tore through his flesh more savagely, feeling it rip beneath my hold. His heart pulsed in his blood, it danced on my tongue with each pull and I could feel his life slipping and I let it.

It was only when a high pitched scream cut through my trance that I looked up. It rang clear in my ears, piercing through me like a knife. My eyes were glazed over with lust for more, everything was blurry and blood clouded my vision, but it went away as soon as I registered the scream.

_Maddy._

With the blood still staining my chin and mouth, I let go of his body. His lifeless eyes were staring right at me, terrified and wide, but I couldn't care less about his mauled corpse. The blood on my fingers dripped onto the floor and stained the cement.

I stood carefully and warily, watching as Maddy fell back. Her heals scraped against the cement, struggling to get a real grip on the ground to back up. Her eyes were clouded over with terror and disgust. Her chin was trembling and moisture gathered in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. She was terrified beyond belief, and maybe that was why I was so surprised at the brazenness in her next words.

"What the _hell _are you?"

_Happy Birthday to me._

* * *

**ha, oh shhit.  
yes, stiles of the stilinski clan has a tattoo, and there is a reason. I'm sure some of you know what kind of tattoo it is, and what it _does._ For those who don't, well, you'll know eventually (;**

**ALSO, i have a tumblr, fanficbri. I use it for my fics, obviously, and i post banners, sneak peeks, sometimes i even make videos for my stories, so if you'd like to see sneak peeks of the next chapter and all that, you could check it out (;**

**rlly hope you guys like this, i worked rlly hard and edited like 2 times just to make sure. I'm positive at least something will pop up as soon as i post this that i didn't fix lmao. okay, well tell me what you think? review, favorite, follow, pm me if you'd like ;D **

**xoxo Brii(:**


	2. She's A Maneater

**guys, this is kinda unedited and i'm so sorry for any mistakes or anything that doesn't make sense, i just rlly wanted to post it soon haha  
yeah, the impatience is hella real  
BTW FUCKING THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE REVIEWS AND THE FOLLOWS AND THE FAVORITES, YOU ALL MADE MY DAY AND I WAS SO HAPPY AND UGH THANK YOU SO MUCHHHHH! **

**Chapter 2**

**Nude by Radiohead**

Maddy lay quietly on my couch. Her head lolled to the side, drool traveling down her chin as she snored loudly. Her make up was smeared down her cheeks, mascara and eyeliner making the skin beneath her eyes dark. She looked peaceful, but that was only because I knocked her out.

I was pacing the length of my apartment, the wooden floors would surely have a giant whole by the time I was done. I could still taste the blood on my lips, I could still feel his pulse stopping on my tongue, and feel his fear echoing through me, but I couldn't care less. He deserved it, at least, that was what I told myself.

Not only that, but Maddy saw _everything. _She saw my loss of control, she saw my true form, she saw me _feed. _I didn't even understand what the hell I was, how the hell was I supposed to explain myself? How was I supposed to erase last night from her mind? How was I supposed to do _anything_?

I hadn't even showered. Death still clung to every bit of my body, blood was still smeared across my shirt. I was able to wash off everything from my face, but there was no way I was going to leave Maddy alone for another minute. She would probably run out of the room screaming for help for all I knew. I hadn't even noticed that I was biting at my lip until a drop of blood danced across my tongue and traveled down my throat.

It didn't taste the same as last night.

Maybe because it was mine, and my blood was tainted with darkness and evil that I couldn't even dream of running from.

"Aria?"

I halted in my steps, my head snapped towards her in a speed of light at the sound of Maddy's groggy voice. Her hair was a tangled mess sitting on her shoulders, wisps falling onto the couch as she struggled to sit up. Her eyes were hazed as she regarded me with confusion, a groan of pain escaping her lips and I cringed as she brought her hand towards the bruise I left on her temple.

_Oops._

"What the hell happened?" She moaned again as her fingers skimmed against the sensitive flesh. "Did you…-did you _punch_ me?" Her voice was laced with incredulity, brows pinched together as she struggled to think through her hangover.

"Yeah." My voice came out bored, cold and detached. It made her reel from my simple presence and wince as I stepped closer to her. I felt something crawl down my spine as her fear became more palpable, and unlike last night, I didn't like it. Not one bit. "In my defense, you tried to kill me with my _lamp_."

Her eyes snapped towards me. The bright and bubbly Maddy was gone, her smile wasn't lifting at the corners of her lips and showing off her dimples, they were lilting towards the ground. Her eyes weren't shining with sweetness that gave me cavities, they were shining with realization and the harsh beginning of fear. Her eyes were the same mossy green, but as they stared down at the blood splattered across my shirt, they were the windows to her terrified soul.

"Last night…-the bar. You-you…that man, you-you _killed_ him." Eyes focused on the blood staining my shirt, her breaths came out in pants. Each one was more forceful than the other, each one shorter, and each one with only one thing in common. Fear. The harsh pounding of her heartbeat was echoing throughout the whole room, or so it seemed. It beat quick and sporadically, fast enough that I worried for just one second that it would stop. "You _killed him_! You bit his neck, and you-you…" I could see the confusion, the anger, the fear, the betrayal. It reflected off of her eyes like fire and ice. "You're a _monster_!"

My eyes widened, my hands itching at my sides as she backed further and further into the couch as if she hoped it would swallow her whole. She probably did. Tears were pooling in her eyes. Suddenly, I could feel something pool in my stomach, something I hadn't felt in a long time, something that required for someone to truly _care. _Dread. It attacked me with a fervor that I couldn't resist as I griped for a good response.

All I came up with was: "He would have killed me. Or worse, _raped _me if I hadn't killed him. I saved both of our asses out there, Maddy." And I knew that even if he hadn't tried to kill me, I still would have ripped spleen out without batting an eyelash, but of course I didn't tell her that.

"YOU ATE HIM!" She screeched and I flinched as her voice pierced through my eardrums. My spine straightened immediately as she opened her mouth again, a big breath was filling her lungs and I knew exactly what she was going to do next. She was going to scream.

I flashed towards her with supernatural speed, my feet moving so quickly and my body propelling towards her so rapidly that it was a blur. My hand went to her mouth and my eyes flashed dangerously. The scream died in her throat and I could feel her warm breath rapid against my palm. Her eyes were wider than ever, but for the life of my I would _not _let go.

I couldn't afford to have my neighbors hear it. I couldn't afford to have other people find out.

"Be _quiet._" The growl in my voice was low, but it was there, and it scared her into submission. I'd never been one for patience, and this girl was certainly testing it. Her whimpers were quite, but I could hear them like screaming in my ear. Nothing really mattered at that point, she already _saw _me. Who cared if she knew what I was? "I'll tell you everything if you stay quiet, but only then. Okay?"

Her nod was imperceptible, but there was something frantic in the smallest jerk of her head. I let go of her slowly, my eyes surveying her every move. The twitch of her fingers, the small shifting of her feet as she only backed herself into the armrest. They slid up the couch until her thighs were pressed against her torso and her arms were able to hug her knees to her.

"Good."

And I told her _everything._

* * *

Anxiety clawed at my stomach, my throat, my entire _body. _My fingers tapped at the skin of my bare thighs, my shoulder blades twitched under the soft pressure of my camisole. I'd never felt this way, not for anyone other than myself, not for anyone other than the people I let myself care for in my past. Not for _anyone_. Not since I was in grade school. So why was Maddy making me feel so _anxious_?

She was staring at me, her eyes wide and there was no fear. No anger, no betrayal. Nothing. Her eyes were the reflection of an empty pit, the reflection of glass on glass. My jaw ticked and her lids closed over her eyes for half a second. Her heartbeat was still erratic, but her breathing was finalized into a steady rhythm. Nothing about her screamed and sobbed, nothing was frantic, nothing was hysterical.

Nothing but me, because now, she was observing. She was looking and prodding, and I had no idea how but I could feel her eyes like they were rolling just beneath my skin and looking into my every thought.

"_What_?"

Her back straightened like someone had whipped her and her mouth opened and closed repeatedly. Her words were stuck in her throat, and I just sat there and watched as she struggled to even think. Eyebrows furrowed in thought and fingers twitching in nervousness, she looked back up and finally said something.

"You're a _what__?_"

I sighed and it rocked through my body like the fatigue that seeped into my bones. "A demon."

"A demon? What-…like Supernatural?" Her body leaned forward and mine backpedaled as her eyes glinted with curiosity. Her fear was still there, but the curiosity was strong in this one. "That's _sooo__…_what the-oh my god, I've been trying to make friends with a _demon_!?"

"That's what you're worried about? I can literally tear out your _spleen _in a matter of seconds. Or eat you. _Literally. _Aren't you going to run screaming? Aren't you completely terrified? Why are you acting like this is completely _normal_?" I could feel the strain in every bit of my body as I struggled not to scream. I wanted her to be afraid. I wanted her to scream. I wanted this to scare her so much that she could _never _come back. "You were screaming like a fucking banshee only 20 minutes ago."

I could see from the tremble and her lips and the waver in her eyes that she was still scared, but it didn't make me feel better about the situation. She was Maddy, my neighbor, not my _friend. _And she should be terrified. Her eyebrows drew down into a furrow as she sat back with her spine straightened out completely. Her lips were pulled into her mouth and her eyes were thoughtful before she opened her mouth and spoke four words that I never knew had as much truth as they really did.

"You won't hurt me."

She was still sitting straight and everything about her screamed confident. From the firm plant of her feet, the lifting of her chin and the straightening of her back. Nothing about her screamed afraid other than the acrid sent and the rapid heart beat. It was impressive, but it wasn't enough.

Her hand was suddenly reaching towards me, a sliver of determination flashing in her eyes and I knew what she was going to do before she did it. Her wrist was at my mouth and I wanted to rip her head off for being such an idiot, but I grabbed at it instead. I held it in a bruising grip, my fingers pressing into the soft skin until I could feel her bone right beneath them. I had the power to shatter it, and she knew it. Her pulse throbbed rapidly beneath my index and middle fingers.

I turned her hand so her knuckles were facing upwards and pressed her own fingers against my pulse.

"Do you feel that? It's beating against my skin, just like yours is. Do you know _why _it's beating? Why my heart hasn't stopped beating, why blood still runs through my veins?" Gone was the confidence. Her fear was just as palpable as before and I felt something churning in my gut, but I ignored it and leaned closer to her. I watched and heard as she gulped. Her lips trembled, and I felt her breath against my cheek. "Because I _kill_. Because I _feed_, that's why I'm not dead. Because my survival comes before yours. And I _will _hurt you if that's what it comes down to."

I felt the goosebumps rise on her wrist, heard her heart stutter and saw the moment her determination wavered and her self-preservation took over. Her lip trembled and I knew it wash't just with fear.

"Let me go." Her voice was small, but there was something lurking just beneath it that made guilt claw at my stomach and let her go. She ripped her arm away and backed away from me. She started backing further away from me until she reached the front door, and only then did she turn her back on me. "I won't tell anyone."

That was the last thing I heard from her before she shut the door and ran to her own apartment.

My eyebrows furrowed and my jaw clenched. Confusion was swirling in my mind along with a plethora of mind boggling emotion.

She didn't run away with a scream tearing from her throat, or cry vampire in the middle of the hallway. She walked out with an angry set of eyes and her head propped up on her shoulders, heavy but high.

I didn't know what it was swelling in my chest the moment I heard the door slam, all I knew was that I didn't like it.

* * *

The sun was barely shining through the skies, but the traffic was blooming and the cars were honking like no other as I rushed down the sidewalk with a coffee cup in one hand and my cellphone in the other. I was out of my apartment as soon as I was presentable enough and had my wits about myself.

Nothing was really making sense in my mind. One half was dedicated to Maddy, and the other half was dedicated to the new kill I made last night. Just another to add to my ever growing list.

Maddy was different, she was nice, she was _genuine. _And she was deathly afraid of me, just how it should have been. It was wrong, sure. Scaring her into submission was the worst thing I could have done, and I couldn't believe I actually did, or that it actually worked. I needed her to stay away, I needed her to leave me alone, and I needed her to stop making me feel so damn guilty.

A red light halted my steps and I looked up to see my mother's company only a red light away. The sun glared against the glass doors, obscuring my vision and nearly blinding me as the light flooded into my pupils. People were in and out, limos were parked right at the door and men with impeccable suits and body builder bodies were securing the area.

I licked my lips as the cold morning breeze attacked me, and waited for the light to turn green.

The man I killed, his blood, his face, his heartbeat, his _death, _it lingered in my mind and danced across my tongue. It was swept in my scent and clouded in my aura, the kill. I could still feel it, fresh and oozing through my every pour like _energy_ and-and something else I couldn't even begin to put into words. It was like a buzz throughout my whole body, and it happened every day after a fresh kill. Or a full moon.

What I said to Maddy was true, someone else's life was what gave _me_ life. It let me survive through grueling years filled with confusion, hunger, danger, and pain.

Pain.

The only thing that remained a constant in my life.

I stopped in front of the steel framed glass doors, slipping my hand through the handle, pulled open, and walked in. Immediately different scents invaded my nose, each one different from the other, yet all merging together to form its own conjoined scent.

Sipping a bit of my coffee, I walked up to the informations desk and asked for Katerina Romanov, only a bit surprised when they let me through. Then, it was all a plethora of familiar hallways, secretaries, business men and women. I could hear the giggles and the cries and everything that was behind each of the doors without even focusing.

I walked into my mother's office without knocking on glass doors that towered over anyone that stood in front of them. Her scent wafted through my nose, Marc Jacobs and blood.

"The next time you decide to indulge on a cracked out rapist, _do_ clean after yourself."

There she sat, her eyes assessing and her red lips moving carelessly and effortlessly as she spoke the words. Her head was turned to the left, watching as the sun grew higher and higher with each minute that passed and I could see a simmer of light penetrating the windows and hitting the same red mane that I inherited. It was pulled into a tight ponytail, strands brought down to frame her heart shaped face.

"Let me guess, you were following me." I sat on one of her chairs, setting the coffee on the table and watched as she turned to face me with the same pale green eyes I was sure she was looking into right now. My throat went dry as her red nails tapped against a fabric placed delicately on her desk. "Where did you get that?"

Nothing was worse than the surge of panic that blossomed in my gut and spread from there. It soared through my veins and my nostrils flared as I caught the familiar scent. It was Maddy's.

"Oh, your friend left it there. Right after you exposed yourself to her." Her ruby red lips were sucked into her mouth before she let them go and I felt her eyes pierce through me, an eyebrow raising.

My knee bounced as she only rolled her eyes and stood with grace. "I fixed it." Heat crawled up my neck stood as she walked over to my side and took a sip of _my _coffee, that _I _paid for. "Hey!"

"My sweet, sweet girl. You have no idea how hard this is going to come back to bite you in the ass." She looked down at me and my jaw clenched as her hand reached out to twirl a start curl that had escaped the bun that sat atop my head.

"I have it under control." I bit out.

"No you don't, but don't worry. I'll fix it"

Her words were heavy with malice and promise, and I felt a cold hand caressed my spine as they processed. Something churned inside of me at the thought of her fixing anything to do with Maddy and my glare was set on her and my lips were pulled back in threat within a second.

"Ms. Romanov?"

There was the clicking of heels against the all black marble floors and a small knock before the soft voice called out. It rang like bells in both of their ears and I could feel a shift in the air and something pulled at my chest. It was like a churning in my entire body, it tingled and it ached at the same time.

I turned to look at the intruder with a scowl that matched my mothers, though hers softened as soon as she caught sight of a redhead with an outfit that could put even Maddy to shame.

Just looking at her, all I could see was prim an proper. Everything about her screamed sophisticated, smart, and undoubtedly beautiful. With hair the color of a flower with sets of auburn and blonde, eyes that glittered with blades of grass and the sun alike. She was a beauty with fashion sense, but there was something about her that made my skin itch and my gums ache.

"Lydia, sweetheart, I didn't expect you so early."

Her lips puckered and her dimples were showcased as she let them go and tilted her lips into a smile. Her eyes lingered on me, a shadow passing through them and her entire face going slack and I felt something come through me as well. It was a wave, it pushed into my body and coursed through my blood. It was fire and ice combined and I gripped at the chair as the feeling passed, leaving only an everlasting prickling at my skin.

What the fuck?

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. I was just coming to check in and see if you needed anything?"

She looked between us and still stood behind the door, one foot already in and one foot still out. May as well come all the way in. I could feel my mother's gaze shifting towards me and I looked at her with the same confusion as I looked at Lydia. Did she not feel it?

With a cock of her eyebrow and a twitch of her lips, she told me she did and that was all I needed to know. I wasn't _completely _insane. Yet.

"No, we don't need anything, sweetie. I would, however, like to introduce you to my daughter."

Her green eyes flitted over to me, scanning and observing. Her smile was almost as tight as her skirt, but I didn't give anyone the pleasure of smiling back. I couldn't help the thought as it came, but with the new ache in my gums and newly presented tidal wave of unease this girl gave me, I wondered what it would be like to tear into _her _next.

My eyes dazed, and my mind wandering, I didn't hear my mother's incessant introductions until she snapped her red tipped fingers in my face and took my arm in her hand to bring me up from my chair, as if I was a _child. _

"I'm sorry, darling, she seems to still be asleep." Her smile was warm and apologetic, but her grip on my forearm was relentless. I guess this was what it was like to have a mother introduce you to people. People that you _really _didn't want to associate yourself with. "This is my intern, Lydia."

The girl stepped forward, tentative yet confident. Her lips were stretched wide, but her eyes betrayed her. There was something swimming within the depths of her green eyes, something I couldn't decipher.

My mother's grip tightened again and I winced as her nails dug into my skin.

Her hand stretched out, dainty and manicured. Pink nail polish stained on her nails perfectly and shiny, and I stared at it. Like an idiot.

"I'm Aracelia." I took the hand, it was soft in my grip and stark against my own. Her skin was ivory, pale as mine, but her hands looked…nicer. Somehow. Must have been the manicure. Apprehension was heavy within my being as our hands shook. I could still feel that unease, trickling through my pores. It tingled where our skin touched and I wanted to pull my hand away and clutch it to my chest until the tiny little shocks disappeared.

"I'm Lydia…Lydia Martin."

* * *

Maddy was walking quickly down the path to her own apartment, blonde locks pulled onto a knot atop her head, face void of any make up and fists clenching onto the soft fabric of her shirt. She looked over her shoulder, and only shook her head when she saw nothing.

"You're so stupid." She whispered to herself. Her lips parted as she sighed, she could feel the roaring fear that had dimmed to a quiet simmer in her veins. She didn't know what she was thinking, confronting Aria that way, talking to her like she was normal, like she was _human_. She wasn't. "So, so stupid."

Aracelia Valentino wasn't human, her neighbor was a freaking man eater. Maddy could never truly understand her, and quite frankly, she wasn't sure she wanted to. All she knew was that she wanted to make friends with the neighbor that never wore a smile, that never had a friend over, that never seemed truly happy or even a bit content.

Her eyes were dim and her smile was nonexistent, and Maddy had always wanted to put one on her face. She wanted to know what her teeth looked like when her lips weren't pulled back in annoyance, or if her eyes got brighter somehow. Maddy wanted to fix her, and now it seemed that she couldn't. She couldn't fix her because she wasn't even human.

She stopped in front of her door, taking her key card and pushing it into the lock before completely entering her apartment. Her footsteps were quiet, her feet padding along the carpeted floors before she took her shoes off completely. Rolling her neck out, she walked over to her fridge in hopes that there would be something sugary to drink, or some tequila. That would also be great.

Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door. Each thump against the wooden panel was calculated, it was slow and it was deliberate. Her blonde brows furrowed, steps halting as she wondered who it could be.

_What if it's Aria? _

No way, she made it abundantly clear that she didn't even want to see her, that she was nothing to her, that she was _disposable. _Maddy was only her neighbor, hell, her _food. _There was no way it was her. Unless she was really hungry and wanted to eat her.

_Oh, god, please don't let it be her. I don't want to be eaten alive, _she found herself thinking.

**She walked towards the door, her fingers stretching over her remote control as she passed by it. It was fisted in her hand as she slowly opened the door, spotting the familiar red hair, only different. The door creaked with movement as her hand pulled at the metal knob, the other hand tightening around the remote control. Every centimeter felt like it went on for ever, but she still pulled slowly until the door was wide open.

Only it wasn't Aria.

Red tendrils escaped from a high ponytail, each strategically placed beside vivid green eyes and a stark contrast against the ivory skin of Maddy's new visitor. With lips the color of blood pulled at the corners, and lifting her cheeks. A smile filled with a menacing kindness that Maddy herself could see right away. There was something about her that made Maddy's skin crawl and her heartbeat pick up.

With a body made to kill, and a dress meant to impress, the woman stepped over the threshold. Her heal dug into the plush carpet and the black material of her dress stretched across her thighs as the slit became pronounced.

Her lips pulled and her teeth were bared, white and threatening in a way that made Maddy step back.

"You must be Maddy, I'm Katerina." She stepped fully into the apartment, each foot in and no more space to run. "Katerina Romanov."

* * *

**HEY!  
i'm aware this chapter is rlly…ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhjfebwijsn, but i was rlly just trying to finish it up and it came out horrible and weird, so i promise the next one will be better D;  
and okay, aria is a demon, but as you know, there are different types of demons, and her little backstory is a lot more complicated than it seems…and and and idk, ik it just rlly rushed by and i'm sorry, BUT I'LL EXPLAIN IT MORE IN COMING CHAPTERS I PROMISE**

**so idk when the next chapter will be up, but hopefully soon  
i'm finally done with SATs, but now i'm onto the ACT lmao, yeah…not all that great  
****anyway, I reallllyyy do hope you guys liked it, and if you have any questions or just wanna talk, PM me.  
****also, i've got a Tumblr account where i post banners, videos, and sneak peeks, if you wanna go check it out it's _fanficbri_ lfnekjwnf**

**okay, remember to review, favorite and follow (; see you next time!**

**xoxo Brii(:**


	3. Fear the Dread Built Upon Suspicion

**Chapter 3**

**_"suspicion always haunts the guilty mind"_**

**\- william shakespeare**

.

The sun beat down on my skin, grass tickled the palm of my hand and the wet soil was buried in my fingernails as I sat back with my hands propping me up. The wistful sound of innocent laughter reached my ears along with cooing mothers and chortling fathers. Swing sets were creaking obnoxiously and dogs were barking happily.

The straps of my tank top revealed the skin tattooed with the image of a Black Baccara rose and I reveled in the breeze that whispered across it and every patch of skin that was revealed. Another warm day in LA was attacking us all, and I could feel the sweat gathering at the base of my neck as I just sat on the grass and observed every life that passed by my eyes.

Like the one in front of me. A human little girl with the widest, most innocent brown eyes and a toothless smile. Her hair was a wild array of raven curls, rebelling against the wind as they smacked against her face as she ran after her father. Shrieks of excitement were passing through her small lips as she reached for him and caught him.

_"I got you, daddy! You promised me candy, remember? I want some chocolate!" _

She was pressing her entire body to his legs and he crouched down with a smile that tilted at his lips and brightened his entire expression. Dark eyes alight with warmth and love. There was a promise in there, one that said he would protect her and love her no matter what, one that made me wonder what it would be like to have someone look at me like that.

"_Alright, alright. A promise is a promise. Let's go." _

"_Don't encourage her, Greyson, you know what the doctors said about her sugar intake." _

And in came the mother. With her unruly curls cascading down her back and her emerald eyes shining with worry. The typical stance of a worried mother was in full use. Pursed lips, furrowed eyebrows, lingering stares, and crossed arms…or, at least that's what I got from watching all the families in the park I was in. They were all the same, worrying after their children, coddling them, smothering them with kisses and kindness and love.

It was so weird.

They all looked like real families, and with each and every kiss, each and every hug, each and every lingering stare. And for a few seconds, I wondered what it felt like to grow up with something like that.

"Nice ink."

Every thought processing through my mind halted as a voice meddled through my mind. With a genuine lilt in his voice, yet something sarcastic that lingered just beneath the surface, I realized it sounded awfully familiar. It was deep, a baritone set to it that sent shivers down my spine. I could feel his footsteps halting behind me and I turned to glare up at the intruder.

His hair was gelled and he was smiling with both his lips and his eyes. Moles were scattered across his face, but not in a way that was overwhelming. Whiskey swirled with caramel that glinted in the sun as his eyes peered down at me and I realized then that he was the guy from last night. And my Folklore &amp; Mythology class.

Stiles.

I rolled my eyes and turned my head, but he took it as an invitation to sit next to me. It wasn't.

He lowered himself onto the ground so close I could feel the heat emanating from his form. His entire body leaned forward and his elbows rested on the tops of his knees. A sigh raked through my body as he turned towards me and I felt that penetrating gaze on piercing through my face.

"I wasn't stalking you, I promise. Just…saw you, and you looked pretty depressed. Or…-not depressed, just lonely..-I mean, okay, yeah this isn't working out. Please, feel free to let me ramble on. It's not like I'm completely making a fool of myself."

I rolled my eyes and licked my drying lips as he quieted down. My fingers twitched and my feet itched to move, but he started talking again, only this time it was something relevant. Something that had my head turning so quickly I swear I heard the smallest crack.

"Is your friend okay? Maddy?" His voice was hesitant with good reason, and as soon as the words escaped his mouth, something built up in my mind and my barriers were up once again. Suspicion crawled up my throat and showed through as I replied with a small bite in my tone.

"Why is that any of your concern?"

"I saw the guy leave like 10 seconds after you guys, just thought I'd ask. He was clearly on something."

The hairs stood on my arms and I could feel something stutter in my body as he said the words. "Really?" Something bugged at the back of my mind as his eyes sharpened for just one second before they returned to their normal nonchalant gaze. My throat was dry as possibilities reeled in my mind. What if he followed him? What if he saw me? What if there was yet another human that knew what I was, or came close to it?

"Yeah, we followed him…but-uh, well..-" He looked away and I felt a churn in my gut as I waited for his next words. Heat was crawling up my back and traveling to my neck and the tips of my ears, and it wasn't anger, it wasn't even fear. I didn't know what it was, but I could see the tick in his jaw as he struggled to say the words. "We found him dead."

I could feel my heart, rapid and pounding against my sternum. It was an unrelenting force, and for just a second I was afraid he could hear it. I struggled through the tension that was pulling at my muscles. "Did you see what happened?"

The question lingered in the air and the tension was building. It was thick, permeating the air with its poisonous intention. His stare was still piercing right through me with the same intensity that he seemed to try to hide so well, but even I could see the underlying suspicion.

It made my gums ache and my fingers twitch

"No."

And a relief like no other flooded my entire body. My shoulders sagged and I released my bottom lip from the hold I didn't know it was in.

"Wow...uh..." I didn't know what to say. What was something that a completely-guilty-of killing-the-guy-you're-talking-about person wouldn't say? "Sorry you had to see that." Even I could hear the complete lack of sincerity in those 6 words.

Definitely not suspicious.

My fingers worked at the bits of grass, pulling and ripping the small blades apart as an awkward silence followed after. He said what he needed to say, I got the information I wanted, so why was he still here?

Teeth gnawed on the soft flesh of my lips as the silence remained a few more seconds. The familiar ache in my teeth was starting up again as my fangs struggled through the skin. I didn't understand why he was setting me on edge, or why my control was still waning after the feast I had last night.

My mouth opened a few times until I finally just looked at him. My jaw ticked once, my teeth ground together, and suddenly words were tumbling out of my mouth.

"Did you want something?"

"I wanted to see if you and Maddy were okay. You know, because there's a murderer out on the loose?"

I rolled my eyes as he shook his head like the answer was obvious. Seriously, who the fuck was this guy? Why was he here? Why did he "care"?

"Well, we're fine. You don't need to worry." There was something almost predatory in my voice, a darkness that lurked just beneath everything else, a warning. It wasn't me, no, it was the hunger, it was the demon that was clawing at the surface.

Why? Why did I still feel the effects of the full moon? Just seconds ago, I was feeling just fine. What the fuck changed?

His eyes narrowed the smallest bit, just enough so I could see the dark contrast of his thick lashes against his skin. He let a harsh breath out, his head shaking in dismay and his nimble fingers tapping quickly against knee.

"Right. Well, I guess I'll see you in class."

His weight shifted onto his hands as he stood slowly. His figure towered over me, rays of sunlight flooding into his eyes and he squinted. Light beamed around him as he covered the sun, and I gave him a tight lipped smile as he walked away.

The smile faded away along with him, and the children's laughter mingled with barking dogs once again, but I couldn't find it in myself to enjoy the simplicity in sitting at the park. Not when someone else was on the brink of figuring me out.

"Fuck my life."

.

"_It's a full moon, Scott, we shouldn't have even come here."_

_Stiles and Scott still sat at the bar, an anxious strain was polluting the atmosphere that surrounded them, it was pouring out of them in waves. It was a full moon. It was Stiles' birthday. Scott McCall was on the brink of completely losing his shit._

_ "I'm fine. I'm in control, remember? It's your birthday, man." Any sense of reality in Scott's eyes was dimming into the darkness that surrounded him, but he focused on staying in control, on doing the thing Stiles had been helping him do since day one._

_ A variety of different scents made it just a bit harder for him to maintain his control. There were too many, all jumbled and all confusing. They wafted into his nose at first, but then they came like a tidal wave, washing over him and stinging his nostrils. It came to the point where all he could do was stand there and try to focus on just one thing, and when that failed, he focused on Stiles._

_"Your control as an alpha is still pretty shit, and...Scott!"_

_It wasn't until Stiles had noticed the glaze in Scott's eyes, the red tint that was fighting through those brown eyes, like blood rising to the surface, that he felt the shift in the air. He felt a buzz that radiated near Scott, a humming of power that only a True Alpha could possess. It made his heart beat just a little faster and his eyes dart around the room. Nothing was worse than an Alpha turning in the middle of a busy bar._

_ "We need to leave. Now, Scott."_

_ "I'm in control, Stiles. I'm fine."_

_ "Maybe you are, but it-" Stiles' eyes darted around, the surroundings familiar yet strange, bodies rubbing against bodies, shouts of joy and shouts of anger alike stirring the crowd further into a frenzy, but that wasn't what caught his eye. It was the wisps of blonde hair that stuck to a sweaty forehead, the red rimmed blue eyes that brimmed with vengeance. It was the man that had tried to take Maddy with him. _

_He was sliding between the crack of the side exit of the bar, his hand curled into a fist around the door handle, and even from where he stood Stiles could see the paleness in his knuckles as the skin stretched across them. It was the same door Aracelia and Maddy left from. _

_"-It doesn't matter because that guy is following Aracelia, and he's on something. I recognize that look, Scott, he's-"_

_"Let's go." _

_And just like that they followed after him, their feet moving rapidly across the wooden floors, arms and hands pushing at the people in their way until they got to the door and took off in his direction._

_There was no trace of him, not to Stiles, not to any human._

_ The alleyways were emptied, there was no sound, no footsteps, and most important, no heartbeats other than his own and Stiles'. The darkness swallowed nearly everything, creeping onto them both and beckoning them forward._

_ To the human eyes, there was nothing._

_ To the human nose, there was nothing._

_To the human ears, there was nothing._

_But Scott wasn't human. _

_And that was when something else was caught in the air. Something that stirred the alpha within him, the wolf, it stirred his most primal instincts to run, to fight, to hunt._

_ Blood._

_ It overpowered the stale beer that wafted from the cracking cemented grounds, overriding nearly any other scent that lingered. The pale moon shone brightly, ribbons of light coating the ground, yet did little to illuminate the vast darkness that stretched further down. _

_Stiles' fingers twitched at his side, his teeth gliding over his lower lip as he looked to Scott for guidance. He was, afterall, the werewolf. He could see, hear, and smell what he couldn't. _

_"So? Did you get anything?" _

_Scott's nose twitched as the scent only became stronger, his teeth grinding together as his fingers latched around Stiles' wrist as he tried to track the scent. _

_"Yeah, I did." _

.

"I'm sure you know who I am." Her voice held a seductive lilt that made it sweet, yet a low and raspy quality to it made it almost menacing. "-considering you know my daughter, _Aracelia_, very well."

Dread.

It started off as a pit in Maddy's stomach, it coursed through her system, and it touched every cell in her body, swelling them with a poison that took her breath away. Eventually, that dread, it lead to something a little less sweet, and a little more painful. Something that could either awaken the senses, or dim them to the point of no return. It was a little more consuming, a little

more crippling.

Fear.

She could feel it pooling inside of her, ebony liquid that burned like fire and ice in one sitting. A crawling sensation that wound and curled inside of her skin and sat for what felt like hours as the predatory gaze that came with Katarina Romanov focused on her every tick, every movement. Her lips were red, red like the blood that dribbled down Aria's lips. The thick, dark liquid that still stained her favorite jeans.

"I-I don't know-"

Maddy tried to avoid her splintering gaze, her feet padding backwards just enough so that the threat the bubbled in her chest and clenched in her gut would lessen just a little.

It didn't.

"I'm not here to hurt you, darling. I'm simply here to talk, to...negotiate, you could say." Katarina's perfectly manicured ruby red nail scratched along the surface of Maddy's coffee table. The wood splintering beneath her touch as she stepped forward with the same smile on her face.

"If you're not here to-to hurt me, then stop. Please just..." Maddy looked down, eyes focusing on the slow steps Katarina was taking.

Her heels sinking into the plush carpet her sharp, and they were getting closer and closer to her. "Stop!"

Her voice cut through the tension, it was shrill and pleading, trembling with fear. She had to remind herself that this woman wasn't Aria, she wasn't there to explain anything to her, she wasn't there to help her, she wasn't there to make sure she didn't say a damn thing.

Katarina Romanov was there to kill her.

"I told Aria I wouldn't say anything, and I won't, I promise-" She hurt, she hurt everywhere. She was splitting at the seams. Her head was pounding as her heart beat at her ribcage, eyes stinging as the tears forced their way in. Every part of her was shaking with fear, and it hurt to breathe.

Katarina smiled, her lips lifting over her teeth, and for a brief second, Maddy found herself looking for those fangs that could tear right into her, but they weren't was only the perfect, white smile. Unsettling, sweet, threatening and beautiful all at once.

"Sweetheart, breathe. I'm not going to kill you." She ignored Maddy's plea, her feet still moving leisurely and her finger trailing across the soft fabric of her couch, the suede material kissing her fingertips softly as Maddy only shut her eyes and shook her head, as if she would simply disappear. "Aracelia would never forgive it."

And Maddy opened her eyes once again, her pupils dilating as the surprise and fear merged together, but it all dissipated into nothing when the lack of space between she and Katerina became apparent, and her heart plummeted, and she looked up.

Their eyes clashed, and Maddy felt something inside of her falter, like something was breaking through her skin, through her heart, and through her mind.

She read somewhere that when two bodies were close in proximity, when they share the same air and breath it together, you feel heat, but that wasn't the case. Maddy didn't feel heat, she didn't feel the warmth in her toes or the precipitation on her forehead. She felt cold, like there was ice spreading and burning through her eyes, and into her mind.

She felt frozen. Like she had no control, not anymore. Katarina's eyes had become an ocean, vast and deep with crashing waves that could only pull Maddy deeper into the abyss that iced her veins.

"I just want to talk, Maddy."

Maddy could see her hand inching closer to her shoulder, she could feel her get closer, could even smell the Marc Jacobs perfume that she'd always wanted to buy but never did, she could feel the tension from the tips of her toes to the hairs atop her head, but for the love of her she couldn't move, she couldn't think, she couldn't take control.

"Don't you want to talk?"

Her hand touched her shoulder, manicured nails barely scraping against her skin but it was enough to make a shudder of fear trickled down her spine. It was when her fingers dug into the flesh, when her palm settled against her softly that she felt felt a pull inside of her, a surge of power so seductive, so beautiful that she suddenly wanted to talk.

"Yes."

"Now, tell me _everything_ you know about my daughter."

.

**hey guys, i'm realy sorry for taking foreeeeeever on updating, and i can't really say it's going to get any better until i get my laptop back. i wrote this on mobile and it's really...weird. i'm not used to it, yet, but hopefully the next chapter will be out within the next two weeks (; **

**btw thank you to all that favorited, reviewed, and followed! it means the world to me that you guys liked it, and took the time out of your day to give me some feedback. speaking of, tell me what you thought ofthis chapter! i know it was kinda short, but hey, quality over quantity, amirite ladies? (; **

**omg bad joke**

**xoxo Brii(;**


End file.
